Tape-line holder.



J. PRONOVOST.

TAPE LINE HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2a, 1913.

1,100,325, Patented June 16, 1914.

COLUMBIA PLANOCIRAPH $0.. WASHINGTON. B. c.

JOSEPH PRONOVOST, OF HELENA, MONTANA.

TAPE-LINE HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 16, 1914.

Application filed September 23, 1913. Serial No. 791,441.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, J OSEPH PRONOVOST, acitizen of the United States, residing at Helena, in the county of Lewisand Clark and State of Montana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Tape-Line Holders; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill. enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to makeand use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, andto the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in tape lines andparticularly in a means for holding one end of the line and comprises asimple and efficient device of this nature having various details ofconstruction and combinations and arrangements of parts which will behereinafter fully described and then specifically defined in theappended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in whioh-Figure 1 is a plan view of the tape line having my improved attachmentfor holding the same. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the stirrup-shaped memberwith a tapering pin thereon in its operative position. Fig. 3 is asectional view on line 33 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view online 44 of Fig. 1.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, Adesignates the tape measure having a link B which has pivotalconnection, through the medium of the pin D, with a stirrup-shapedmember C. Said member is provided with a pivotal cross bar designated byE and which has spindle ends which are pivotally mounted in apertures inthe arms of said member. It will be noted upon reference to the detailviews of the drawings that one end of said cross bar has a portionextending laterally from its spindle end and designated by F and whichis adapted, when the holder is adjusted for use, to engage a transverseslot H formed in one arm of the member, and when the cross piece is heldin an inoperative position, said projection engages a groove I. It willbe noted upon reference to the drawings that one spindle end of saidcross piece passes through a resilient strip the end of which isfastened to the arm as shown, said resilient strip serving as a means,by its bearing against a shoulder to hold the laterally proectingportion of the cross piece in one or the other of its adjustedpositions. Said cross piece is provided with an aperture 0 and Q,designates a pin having one end tapermg to a point and shoulders R atthe inner ends of the tapering parts of the pin serve as a means forlimiting the movement of the latter in one direction. Said pin isprovided with a head and shoulders between which and the cross bar acoiled spring S bears, sa1d spring serving two purposes, one, to

hold the member carrying said cross piece adjacent to the object towhich the device is to be attached when in use and also serving to holdthe head of the pin yieldingly against the end of the member.

When it is desired to attach the device to the end of a log or otherobject to be measured, the pin may be swung out from its closed positionby simply pushing upon the head of the pin which will cause theresilient strip upon the inner side of the member, to yield as thelaterally projecting portion of said cross piece swings out of thegroove or notch in which it is normally held by said resilient strip. Asthe cross piece makes a partial revolution in order to bring the pin atright angles to the plane of said member, said laterally projectingportion of the cross piece will engage the transverse slot H and be heldtherein by said resilient strip.

When it is desired to hold the pin in a closed position, it may be doneby causing the cross bar to be rocked by pushing upon the pin which willcause the laterally projecting portion of the cross bar to engage thegroove or notch formed at right angles to the slot H and the resilientstrip will hold the cross bar in such adjusted position.

In use, when the device is attached to the end of a log or other object,it will serve as a means for holding the tape for measuring the objectand when it is desired to detach the holder, a slight jerk upon the tapeline will serve as a means for detaching the ta pering end of the pinfrom the object which it engages. By the provision of the deviceembodied in the features of my invention it will be noted that a simpleand efficient means is provided whereby one end of a tape line may befastened to the end of a log or other object to be measured by simplyforcing the pin against the tension of the spring into the end of thelog and when it is desired to detach the device it may be easily done asdescribed, thus dispensing with a person holding the device to the endof the object to be measured.

What I claim to be new is 1. A device for holding the end of a tape lineconsisting of a member for attachment to the end of the tape line, apivoted cross bar carried by said member, a spring pressed pin carriedby the cross bar, and means cooperating with said cross bar for holdingthe latter in different adjusted positions, as set forth.

2. A device for holding the end of a tape line consisting of a memberfor attachment to the end of the tape line, a pivoted cross bar carriedby said member and provided with a shoulder, a spring pressed pincarried by the cross bar and a resilient strip fastened to said memberand adapted to bear against said shoulder, said member having grooves inwhich a portion of the bar is held by said resilient strip, as setforth.

3. A device for holding tape line consist ing of a member for attachmentto the end of the line, said member having apertures therein, a crossbar provided with a shoulder and having spindle ends pivotally mountedin said apertures, said member having grooves formed therein, aresilient strip through which one of the spindle ends of the bar passesand which is adapted to bear against the shoulder upon the bar, said barhaving a laterally projecting portion designed to be held by one or theother of said grooves, and a pin carried by the cross bar, as set forth.

4. A device for holding tape line consisting of a member for attachmentto the end of the line, said member having apertures therein, a crossbar provided with a shoulder and having spindle ends pivotally mountedin said apertures, said member having grooves formed therein, aresilient strip through which one of the spindle ends of the bar passesand which is adapted to bear against the shoulder upon the bar, said barhaving a laterally projecting portion designed to be held by saidresilient strip in one or the other of said grooves, and having anaperture therein and provided with a pin mounted in said aperture, ahead designed to contact with the bar to limit the movement of the pinin one direction and a coiled spring interposed between the head andsaid bar.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

JOSEPH PRONOVOST. Witnesses:

RoLLA DUNCAN, JAMES JoBB.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

said resilient strip in

